(New York New York is at 3790 S. Las Vegas Blvd.; 800-693-6763; the roller coaster is open daily 10:30 a.m.-midnight.)

Want more thrill rides? Try these:

• Three rides at the top of the Stratosphere Tower (2000 S. Las Vegas Blvd.) are not for the faint of heart. Insanity -- The Ride extends riders in ''escape-proof'' seats 64 feet over the tower's north edge, spins them at up to 3 Gs and angles them 70 degrees. Big Shot launches riders 160 feet before dropping them at 45 miles per hour -- several times. And X Scream is an eight-car teeter-totter that shoots 27 feet over the tower's edge and dives at 30-degree angles. One sudden stop leaves the car suspended in air, 900 feet above the ground. 800-998-6937.

• Adventuredome at Circus Circus (2880 S. Las Vegas Blvd.) is an indoor amusement park stretching across 5 ½ acres that has something for everyone. Daredevils will love the Canyon Blaster, a 90-foot-high roller coaster with a double loop and double corkscrew track; and Chaos, a Tilt-a-Whirl meets the Scrambler. Young ones can ride Miner Mike, the train, or fly in the Thunderbirds. And for family fun, there's miniature golf, laser tag and the Midway carnival games. 866-456-8894.

MUSEUMS

Originality applies to the museum scene in Las Vegas.

At Lied Discovery Children's Museum, touching is encouraged with more than 100 hands-on exhibits.

It has the earmarks of San Francisco's Exploratorium, with tons of interactive art and science exhibits that even adults will love. A tornado chamber let's you stick your hand into a wind funnel. And parents are only too happy to help kids create their own radio program.

Youngsters can explore the inside of a giant replica toy train, build a sand dune and pilot the space shuttle.

Playing house takes on a whole new meaning with the Discovery Store set up like a real supermarket with shopping baskets, pretend food and cash registers. It makes me wish I were 3 feet shorter again.

The museum also caters to its youngest guests with crawling areas in the Baby Oasis and building stations, as well as quiet time with books and puppets, in the Desert Discovery, for children 5 and younger.

Lied Discovery Children's Museum is at 833 N. Las Vegas Blvd.; 702-382-3445.

Want more museums? Try these:

• King Tut's Tomb & Museum at Luxor Hotel (3900 S. Las Vegas Blvd.) is an authentic reproduction of King Tutankhamun's tomb as discovered by British archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922. The rooms contain hundreds of replicated artifacts, including the famous guardian statues. 888-777-0188.

• Star Trek the Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton (3000 Paradise Road) has a History of the Future Museum featuring more than 200 props and costumes from the Star Trek television series and movies. For those wanting the complete experience, full-admission tickets include two interactive rides, the Klingon Encounter and Borg Invasion 4D. Or ask at the ticket counter for museum-only tickets; 888-462-6535.

FREEBIES

Surprise! You can find plenty to do in Las Vegas without spending a dime.

Perhaps the most notable free attraction is the Fountains at the Bellagio, a stunning water-light show.

As the show begins, 1,200 nozzles rise silently from beneath the quarter-mile lake in front of the hotel. The first strains of music fill the air and lighted water shoots up 240 feet, racing across the water's surface like a chorus line of dancers. The shows last three to five minutes, ending with a final flourish and explosion of water jets. Each show choreographs the lights and fountains with music ranging from classic to pop.

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